CURE FOR EROSION?

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1939, Page 4

CURE FOR EROSION?

KENYA’S WONDER GRASS RUNNERS FIFTY FEET LONG. NOTABLE SUCCESS CLAIMED. Soil erosion in its worst stages has been stopped in several spots at the Rietondale Research Station by Kenya’s "wonder grass,” known as “Giant Star,” which a representative of Johannesburg inspected today, stated the “Johannesburg Star” of June 17. Dr. I. B. Pole-Evans, Chief of the Division of Plant Industry, mentioned its potentialities as a corrective to soil erosion in an address to the Pretoria Rotary Club on Thursday. He brought this strain (among about 700 others) back with him from a recent trip to Central and East Africa, on which he was accompanied by Mr C. J. J. van Rensburg, officer in charge of the pasture research station at Rietondale. It was Mr van Rensburg who conducted the Pretoria representative of the “Star” round at Rietondale. He said that many of these strains had proved to be much more valuable than was ever suspected at the sources of their origin, but none had given them a greater surprise than the Giant Star, or “Great Rift Valley Kweek,” as it is also known. Mr van Rensburg is most enthusiastic about its potentialities. “Properly used, this grass can, I think, solve the problem of soil erosion in South Africa,” he said. “As far as we are able to judge at present, it seems that it will be able to hold the soil together in any part of the country. TREMENDOUS “SPREAD.” The great advantage of the Star grass lies in its “spread.” Some single runners have been known to extend up to 50ft. from the main stem or mother plant, and' the average is 35ft. to 45ft. The first roots were planted in the first week in January, and, optimistically, Mr van Rensburg placed them 24 ft. apart. Even his wildest expectations were surpassed. Within a few months each was covering several thousand square feet of ground, and some of them as much as 8,000 and 9,000 square feet. All this was achieved without irrigation, apart from natural rainfall.

“In all the history of grass-growing there has never been such a strain, and its possibilities have never been properly appreciated,” said Mr van Rensburg. “Botanists have never known any grass to extend as far as this and to bind the soil together so.” No farmer in the country can afford to ignore Giant Star grass.” Mr van Rensburg pointed out several spots where erosion in its worst stages had been stopped by planting this grass in the right places.

GOOD FEEDING. The grass can be cultivated under almost any known condition of soil and climate. It grows remarkably high and remains beautifully green, with only the least irrigation. What is more, it has been, found to have an extremely high feeding value and can be fed with perfect safety to any animal. It is emphasised that only one part of the grass should be grazed at any time and that before it is completely exhausted another part should be used to allow it a period of “rest.” Grown as it should be, a single plant can yield 2251 b. of fodder and more in a few months. Actually the expedition (which was undertaken between May and September last year) brought back with it 1,500 different varieties of pasture hay and fodder grasses, but only 700 survived the rigours of the journey. However, the seeds of the others were rescued and are now in the process of germination, ready to be transplanted as soon as the season starts. Apart from the Star grass, many other valuable grasses were collected, including finger grasses (good for grazing and stopping erosion), buffet's grasses (for hay and pastures) elephant grasses (for pastures and ensilage) and Kikuyu grasses (for erosion and pastures). They were taken from vastly different parts of the continent —from winter as well as summer rainfall areas, and from altitudes ranging from 4,000 feet to 9,000 —and so should provide suitable varieties for any part of the Union. HUGE GROWTH. Many of the varieties have been found to grow better even in the Union than in the places where they were collected, and some have proved more successful than the Union’s indigenous grasses. (One was found on careful measurement to have grown four inches in heights in 24 hours). Among them are several very satisfactory grazing grasses and soil-binders, which should also do their bit to save the country’s neglected pastures. Mr van Rensburg says it will one day be realised that the expedition of last May was one of the most important ever undertaken in South Africa.